Scrap handling and charging apparatus



March 24, 1970 MEVlSSEN ETAL 3,502,233

SCRAP HANDLING AND CHARGING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 31, 1968 a Sheets-Sheet 1 mvEmoRs ERNSTA. MEVISSEN IRA w. LAKIN their ATTORNEYS Mmh24, 1970 E. A. MEVISSEN ETAL 3,502,233

SCRAP HANDLING AND CHARGING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 31, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 7 IRA w. LAKIN their ATTORNEYS March 24, 1970 E. AAMEVISSEN ETAL 3,502,233

SCRAP HANDLING AND CHARGING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 31, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig.5

INVEN TORS ERNST A. MEVISSEN IRA W. LAKIN BY M @L "4/114 their AT TOR NE YS United States Patent SCRAP HANDLING AND CHARGING APPARATUS Ernst A. Mevissen, Coraopolis, and Ira W. Lakin, Volant,

Pa., assignors to Dravo Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a

corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 31, 1968, Ser. No. 701,881 Int. Cl. C21b 3/02 U.S. Cl. 214--18 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application discloses a novel arrangement for conveying scrap metal from a source of supply and dumping it into the mouth or charging opening of a furnace. It comprises essentially a carrier having parallel scrap boxes pivotally supported thereon in such manner that the boxes may be transported from a point of loading by overhead crane in a level position and set down on a charging car designed to receive the carrier and its scrap boxes. When the carrier has been positioned on the charging car and the charging car moved to a charging position, the scrap boxes may be selectively tilted end- Wise, rear-end up, by operating means on the charging car to discharge the contents from the front end into the furnace opening. When one box has been emptied, the charging car may be moved to bring the second box into charging position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to new and improved apparatus for handling and charging materials into a furnace and more particularly, to apparatus for transporting and charging scrap into a melting or refining furnace, such as a basic oxygen furnace.

Description of the prior art In certain metallurgical operations, typically the manufacture of steel in a basic oxygen furnace, scrap metal is commonly transferred from a scrap pile to the furnace into which it is charged in scrap boxes. These boxes are designed to hold a more or less predetermined weight of metal and are of a size that can be conveniently employed for the purpose. The transfer of the boxes from one place to another requires the use of the overhead mill crane which is also required for other operations in the same area. To reduce the time required for the crane in bringing loaded scrap boxes to the furnace and returning them to be refilled and to take advantage of the greater load-carrying capacity of the crane, it has heretofore been proposed to provide for carrying two scrap boxes at a time which scrap boxes are set down on a charging car designed to receive them, as disclosed, for example, in Patent 3,214,035 granted Oct. 26, 1965.

The present invention is for an improvement in transporting and handling two such boxes at a time, whereby the dead load to be carried by the crane is substantially reduced, the structure simplified, and the charging car itself may be of less heavy and bulky construction.

SUMMARY 3,502,233 Patented Mar. 24, 1970 and a pivot pin passes through the lug on the beam member and those of the boxes. The arrangement being such that the boxes normally are supported at their rear ends on the transverse supports of the beam member while they may be tilted, rear-end up, to discharge their cogtents through the discharge openings at their forward en s.

The beam member has means at its rear end for connection with a chain or cable, and the distal side walls of the boxes have means near the forward end of the boxes for a similar purpose whereby the apparatus may be suspended from an overhead crane at three points to keep it level.

In combination with this apparatus there is a charging car having a frame on which the beam member and boxes may be set. On this frame are two levers, the longitudinal centers of which are spaced from each other a distance about equal to the distance between the longitudinal centers of the two scrap boxes. Each lever has a depending leg pivotally secured to the frame, and a normally horizontal leg. When the beam with its boxes is set on the frame, the beam member is between the two horizontal legs of the levers, which are then extending under the bottoms of the respective boxes, and the lugs on the beam member and the boxes are between the vertical legs of the levers, and the pivots for the levers and boxes are in alignment. Interfitting means on the carrier apparatus and the levers hold the carrier apparatus from shifting on the frame of the charging car. Power means on the charging car is provided for separately swinging each lever in a vertical arc and thereby tilt the box under which the lever is positioned in a similar, rear end up, direction.

Accordingly, the primary objects of the present invention are to provide an improved carrier apparatus for transporting and charging scrap into a mouth of a furnace, which will allow for maximum use of available plant facilities while, at the same time, be of simple but reliable construction whereby a pair of scrap boxes may be filled with scrap in an area remote from the furnace, carried to a charging car of relatively simple construction in a unitary manner and be received thereon in adjacent seated positions and thereafter, individually operated by the charging car for selectively and successively discharging scrap into the mouth of the furnace.

These and other objects of our invention will appear to those skilled in the art from the illustrated embodiments thereof, the description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the carrier apparatus having parallel scrap boxes pivotally supported thereon in a level position and being transported by an overhead crane to or from the charging car;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the charging car;

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the carrier apparatus and scrap boxes on the charging car with one of the scrap boxes being shown tilted endwise, rear end up, to discharge the contents thereof from the front end thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a front view of the carrier apparatus and a side view of the charging car as they are embodied in actual apparatus according to the present invention with both being shown in elevation and illustrating the carrier apparatus including the scrap boxes positioned transversely of the charging car and in seated positions on the levers on the charging car;

FIGURE 5 is a side view in elevation of the apparatus of FIGURE 4 which illustrates in ghost lines a scrap box being tilted to discharge its contents into the mouth of a furnace;

FIGURE 6 is a side view in elevation of the beam member of the present invention; and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged plan view of the rear end of the horizontal portion of the beam member shown in FIGURE 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 13 are diagrammatic perspective views illustrating the fundamental features of the present invention. In FIG. 1 there is shown generally at 10 apparatus for transporting bulk material, such as scrap. The apparatus 10 comprises a beam member 12 having a front end 14 and a rear end 16. A pair of support extensions 18 and 20 project from each side of the beam member 12 rearwardly of the front end 14. A pair of containers or scrap charging boxes 22 and 24 are generally parallel with and located at each side of the beam member 12, and each box is pivotally connected with the beam member 12 at its front end 14 as is shown at 15.

At their front ends 26, each scrap box has a discharge portion 28, an open top and side and rear end walls 32 and 34, respectively. The support extensions 18 and 20 engage the box extensions 36 and 38, respectively, to keep the boxes in a normally level position but above which the rear ends of the boxes may be lifted for tilting the boxes.

Lifting elements or trunnions 40 on the distal side walls of the pair of boxes, and another lifting element comprising a lifting pin 42 transversely positioned on the beam member adjacent to the rear end thereof, permit engagement of lifting or hoist hooks 44 and 46 and auxiliary hook 48 of an overhead crane for carrying the apparatus 10 at three points and substantially level when the apparatus 10 is supported from the overhead crane.

In FIGURE 2 there is shown generally at 50 a charging car. The wheels and undercarriage of the car 50 not being shown in this view. The charging car 50 has a frame structure 51 on which a pair of supporting elements or levers 52 and 54 are pivotally mounted at their forward ends as is shown at 53. The levers 52 and 54 are spaced from and parallel to one another with the space between them being arranged to receive the beam member 12.

As seen in FIG. 3 each of the levers is constructed and arranged for receiving one of the scrap boxes in cooperating seated position thereon with one of the levers extending lengthwise under the bottom of each box and each lever is arranged for individual swingable movement to and from a forwardly tilted position. The levers 52 and 54 also have guides 56 which interfit with the guide pins 58 on the apparatus 10 for holding the apparatus 10 in position on the car 50.

Supported on the frame structure 51 are a pair of hydraulically operated piston assemblies 60 for effecting upward movement of each lever. The piston assemblies 60 are independently operable so that each lever and its associated scrap box may be independently tilted for discharging material through the discharge portions of the scrap boxes. Located at the rear end of each lever 52, 54 is a lifting pin 62 whereby a hoist hook may be utilized as an alternate means for effecting forward tilting of the levers and their associated scrap boxes.

As best seen in FIGURE 3 the levers 52, 54 have a pivotal axis which is aligned with the pivotal axis of the scrap boxes 24, 22 respectively, when the boxes are in seated positions on the levers thereby allowing the aforesaid tilting motion. As is best seen in FIG. 1 each of the scrap boxes has a forwardly positioned bearing surface 64, and as the side trunnions 40 are located on an axis above the tilting axis of the scrap boxes or the point of connections of the scrap boxes and the beam member 12, the bearing surfaces 64 are bound together while the boxes are being transported thus relieving the pivot pin of loading forces that it would otherwise experience if the boxes were not bound together while being transported.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that we have provided apparatus for transporting two scrap boxes at a time which supports both boxes in a level position while they are being transported by crane and then after placement on the charging car permits either box to be tilted while the other remains horizontal.

Referring now to FIGURES 4-7, which show more completely the elements of FIGURES 1-3 as they are embodied in actual apparatus according to the present invention, the reference numeral generally designates the carrier apparatus and the charging car is shown generally at 102.

The carrier apparatus comprises a pair of containers or scrap boxes 104 and 106 and the beam member 107. Each of the containers having a front end 108 with a discharge opening 110, and open top 112, side and rear end walls 114 and 116, respectively, and a depending lug 118 camprising the members 117 and 119 located below the front ends 108 of each box.

The beam member 107, best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, comprises a horizontal portion 120 and a vertical depending connecting portion or lug 122 which includes a pivot pin connecting portion 124 at the end thereof. The beam member 107 joins the scrap boxes together by means of a pivot pin 126 passing through the portion 124 of the beam member 107 and through the lugs 118 of each box. When assembled with the scrap boxes, the horizontal portion 120 extends lengthwise of the boxes and the vertical portion 122 is located between the lugs 118 of the scrap boxes, which lugs 118 are pivotally secured to portion 124 of the beam member.

Adjacent to the rear end 127 of the beam member 107 is a lifting element 128 which is releasably engageable by an auxiliary hoist hook of an overhead crane, and supporting extensions 130 positioned at right angles to the beam member extend therefrom in a direction crosswise of the boxes for detachably supporting the box extensions 131 and therefore the rear ends of the scrap boxes to keep the boxes in a normally level position while they are being transported from a filling area to a furnace area where the charging car is positioned but above which the rear ends of the boxes may be individually pivoted to a tilted discharge or furnace charging position with the month 132 of a furnace 134.

Each scrap box further includes a forwardly positioned side trunnion 136 and a forwardly positioned bearing surface 138. By reason of the vertical portion 122 of the beam member 107 being positioned between the depending lugs 118 of the scrap boxes and being connected thereto on an axis below the longitudinal axis of the side trunnions 136, the bearing surfaces 138 are bound together when the boxes are being transported.

The carrier apparatus is transported from the filling area and placed in seated positions on the charging car 102 and thereafter are raised from their seated positions, when empty, and transported back to the filling area for refilling by engagement of the main hoist hooks 140 with the side trunnions 136 and engagement of an auxiliary hoist book (not shown in FIGS. 47) with the lifting element 128 on the beam member 107.

The charging car 102 is normally located in the furnace area adjacent to the furnace to be charged with scrap and comprises a frame structure 142 on which a pair of spaced parallel levers 114 and 146 are pivotally mounted. Each of the levers 144 and 146 comprising a horizontal portion 148 for receiving a scrap box in cooperating seated position thereon and vertical depending portions 150 which are pivotally connected by means of pivot or hinge pins 152 to upright hinges 154 which are rigidly secured to frame structure 142. Each of the levers also have guides 156 which interfit with guide pins 158 on the scrap boxes for holding the boxes in position on the charging car. The rear ends of the levers 144 and 146 are supported by individual upright support pads 159 mounted on the frame structure 142.

Also supported on the frame structure 142 at 160 and operatively connected with the levers at 162 are a pair of hydraulically operated piston assemblies 164 for effecting individual swingable movement of the levers to and from a forwardly tilted position with respect to the furnace mouth. Positioned at the rear end of each lever is a lifting pin 1 whereby a hoist hook may be utilized as an alternate means for effecting forward tilting of the levers.

The undercarriage of the car comprising a wheel and axle assembly driven by a motor and speed reducer assembly, all of which is shown generally at 168, permits the charging car to be moved for aligning the charging boxes with the mouth of the furnace. In operation, when one box has been emptied, the charging car may be moved to bring the second box into the charging or discharge position.

While we have shown and described a preferred embodirnent of our invention, it will be apparent that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from its spirit and scope.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for transporting bulk material and discharging the material into a furnace, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a beam member having front and rear ends,

(b) a pair of charging boxes generally parallel with the beam member with one of the boxes being located at each side of the beam member, each box having a discharge portion at its front end, an open top, and side and rear walls,

(6) transverse support extensions projecting from each side of the beam member rearwardly of the front end thereof and engaging the boxes to keep them in a normally level position but above which the rear ends of the boxes may be lifted for tilting the boxes,

(d) means pivotally connecting the front end of each of the boxes for permitting independent tilting movement of the boxes, and

. (e) means adjacent to the front and rear of the apparatus to which lifting hooks may be applied for carrying the apparatus with the boxes substantially level when the apparatus is supported from an overhead crane, said last-named means comprising first lifting elements on the distal side walls of the pair of boxes near their front ends and a second lifting element on the beam member adjacent the rear end thereof.

2. Apparatus for transporting bulk material and discharging the material into a furnace, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a beam member having front and rear ends,

(b) a pair of charging boxes generally parallel with the beammember with one of the boxes being located at each side of the beam member, each box having a discharge portion at its front end, an open top, and side and rear walls,

(c) transverse support extensions projecting from each side of the beam member rearwardly of the front end thereof and engaging the boxes to keep them in a normally level position but above which the rear ends of the boxes may be lifted for tilting the boxes,

(d) means pivotally connecting the front end of each of the boxes for permitting independent tilting movement of the boxes, and

(e) means adjacent to the front and rear of the apparatus to which lifting hooks may be applied for carrying the apparatus with the boxes substantially level when the apparatus is supported from an overhead crane, and v (f) a movable charging car on which said apparatus is removably supported, said car having a pair of supporting elements thereon, one of the supporting elements being located under the bottom of one of the boxes and the other supporting element being located under the bottom of the other box, and means on each supporting element to which lifting means may be applied for effecting upward movement of each supporting element whereby the boxes may be independently tilted for discharging material through their discharge portions.

3. The combination with the apparatus defined in claim 2 of a charging car having spaced parallel levers thereon with the space therebetween being arranged to receive the beam member and with one of the levers extending lengthwise under the bottom of one of the boxes and the other lever extending lengthwise under the bottom of the other box, the car having a frame structure on which the levers are pivotally mounted at their forward ends, the levers being arranged to tilt the respective boxes under which they are positioned forwardly and means on the car for elfectin g tilting movement of the levers.

4. The combination defined in claim 5 wherein the levers have a pivotal axis aligned with the pivotal axis of the boxes.

5. The combination as defined in claim 3 wherein there are interfitting means on the levers and the first named apparatus for holding the apparatus in position on the car.

6. Improved apparatus for transporting and charging scrap into a furnace comprising,

(a) a pair of scrap boxes, each box including a front end and a rear end,

(b) a charging car located adjacent to the furnace, the

charging car having a pair of levers pivotally mounted thereon, each of the levers being constructed and arranged for receiving one of the scrap boxes in cooperating seated position thereon and for individual swin-gable movement to and from a forwardly tilted position with respect to the furnace mouth,

(0) a beam member for transporting the scrap boxes from a filling area to the charging car, the beam member having a connecting portion for pivotally connecting the front ends of the scrap boxes together and supporting means adjacent one end thereof for detachably supporting the rear ends of the scrap boxes to keep them in a normally level position but above which the rear ends of the boxes may be lifted for tilting the boxes, and

((1) means on the charging car operatively engaging each of the levers for selectively tilting each of the levers forwardly with its associated scrap box and with respect to the beam member into a tilted furnace charging position with the mouth of the furnace.

7. The improved apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein each scrap box includes a forwardly positioned side trunnion located adjacent to its front end and a depending portion located below its front end, the connecting portion of the beam member being positioned between the depending portions of the scrap boxes and connected thereto on an axis below the longitudinal axis of the side trunnions.

8. Improved apparatus for transporting and charging scrap into the mouth of a furnace which comprises,

(a) a pair of scrap boxes each having a front furnacecharging end, a rear end, and an open top for filling it with scrap material,

(-b) a beam member pivotably connected with the scrap boxes for joining the scrap boxes together and detachably supporting the rear ends thereof in a level position while they are being transported from a filling area to a furnace area and for permitting the scrap boxes to be individually pivoted to a tilted furnace charging position with the mouth of the furnace,

(0) means cooperating with the scrap boxes and the beam member for transporting the scrap boxes to the furnace area,

(d) a charging car positioned in the furnace area and located adjacent to the furnace, the charging car having a pair of levers pivotally mounted thereon, each lever being constructed and arranged for receiving the scrap boxes in cooperating seated positions thereon and for individual swingable movement to and from a forwardly tilted position with respect to the furnace mouth, and

(e) means operatively connected to each of the levers for individually tilting each of the levers forwardly with its associated scrap box and with respect to the beam member into the forwardly tilted position with respect to the furnace mouth.

9. An improved apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein the scrap boxes each have a forwardly positioned side trunnion, the means cooperating with the scrap boxes and the beam member for transporting the scrap boxes to the furnace area comprising a pair of main overhead hoist hooks for releasably engaging the side trunnions and an auxiliary hoist hook, the beam member having a lifting element adjacent one end thereof releasably engagable by the auxiliary hoist hook such that the scrap boxes may be transported by engagement of main and auxiliary hoist hooks with the side trunnions and lifting element from a filling area and placed in seated positions on the pair of levers and thereafter be raised from their seated positions when empty and transported back to the filling area for refilling.

10. An improved apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein the beam member is pivotably connected with the scrap boxes on an axis below the longitudinal axis of the side trunnions.

11. An improved apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein each of the scrap boxes has a forwardly positioned bearing surface and a forwardly positioned side trunnion, the beam member being pivotably connected with the scrap boxes on an axis below the longitudinal axis of the side trunnions whereby the bearing surfaces of the scrap boxes are bound together while the scrap boxes are being transported.

12. Twin charging box apparatus for transporting bulk material and discharging the material so transported into a furnace by placing the apparatus on a charging car having spaced parallel box tilting bars arranged to separately engage the separate boxes and raise the rear ends thereof upwardly for the discharge of material from the front ends thereof, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a beam member having front and rear ends,

(b) a pair of elongated charging boxes with their long axes parallel with the beam member with one of the boxes being located at each side of the beam member, each box having a discharge portion at its front end, an open top and side and rear walls,

(0) means pivotally securing the front ends of the boxes to the beam for independent tilting movement of the boxes transversely to their long axes relative to the beam whereby the rear ends of the boxes may be lifted from transverse supporting extensions on the beam for discharging material from the front ends of the boxes,

(d) means adjacent to the front and rear of the apparatus under which lifting hooks may be applied for carrying the apparatus with the boxes substantially level when the apparatus is supported from an overhead crane,

(e) and means projecting laterally from the sides of each box rearwardly of the front end portion for engaging in saddles on lifting bars of a charging carriage to position and retain the apparatus on the charging carriage with one box over each lifting bar of the carriage.

13. A twin charging box apparatus as described in claim 12 wherein said means for pivotally securing the front ends of the boxes to the beam comprises a depending extension on the beam and depending lugs on the boxes with a common pivot secured in the depending extension of the beam and engaging each of the lugs on the boxes, the lug and pivot arrangement being positioned to enter between the lifting bars of a charging carriage having parallel box tilting buckets with the axis of said pivot being substantially in line with the pivoting axes of the lifting bars of the carriage.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 2143 14 

